This Was Television

1955: Captain Kangaroo says “good morning”

Children’s TV veteran Bob Keeshan portrayed his best-known character for nearly 30 years on CBS, starting on this date. Captain Kangaroo entertained youngsters on weekday mornings with cartoons, picture books, original songs, and regular characters both human (like Mr. Green Jeans) and puppet (like Mr. Moose). The program also featured recurring guest appearances from celebrities including Bill Cosby and Dr. Joyce Brothers.

The avuncular Captain helped pioneer children’s programming that emphasized an educational tone, imparting regular lessons about kindness, civility, and the value of a properly groomed mustache. -A.D.

Also on October 3

1952: Long-time radio hit The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet comes to television, where it enjoys a 14-season run on ABC. The archetypal 1950s family sitcom starred entertainers Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and their sons Ricky and David as loosely fictionalized versions of themselves.

1962: The Dick Van Dyke Show debuts on CBS. The five-season sitcom, which made stars of Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, was created by Carl Reiner and based in part on his experiences as a writer for Your Show of Shows. (Reiner also made intermittent cameos as Alan Brady, host of Dick Van Dyke‘s show-within-a-show.)

Today’s Birthdays: Neve Campbell, party member (39); Seth Gabel, fringe agent (31); Lena Headey, lioness (39); Greg Proops, improv regular (53); Jack Wagner, Melrose Placer (53).